0
You Can't Binge on This Anymore
Food makers shrink packages instead of hiking prices
By Jess Kilby
|
Posted Sep 14, 08 8:54 AM CDT
|
Share
(Newser)
–
The half-gallon of ice cream is going the way of the soda fountain, as many manufacturers shave ounces off the size of prepackaged foods—without reducing prices, reports the New York Times. The practice, a response to the bump in transportation and ingredient costs, isn't novel, but the reaction is, with consumers going online to criticize the trend. Still, sales have only dipped slightly.
One ice cream maker says his company’s decided to “short-size” after a focus group selected it as the best of several bad options, including using cheaper ingredients or increasing prices. “No one was really happy about it (including myself),” he says. Budget-conscious shoppers should check the unit prices on shelf tags to get a true sense of cost, says one consumer advocate.